common ground and an ever evolving garden

I have been deeply touched and encouraged by the number of people who have taken the time to comment, message, share, and like my last post. You have shared with me a snippet of your own lives, struggles, and journeys, and that means a lot. The response has taken me by surprise. It made me wonder why what I wrote touched something in you that compelled you to reach out. I suspect together, we found a kind of common ground in our struggles, hopes, and dreams. We are each trying to find our own unique path to create a life that resonates in our souls. Perhaps we discovered a kind of solidarity. And that for me, is something worth continuing to write for. So let's keep meeting here, shall we? 

I didn't grow up with much of a garden. I remember as a very small child there was a veggie patch at one house we lived at, but generally, we had a lawn, a few hardy shrubs, and a few roses—pleasant and low-maintenance. 

As an adult, I have found myself drawn to pretty gardens, abundant with blooms, trickling water and shade, which is especially appealing in our hot Australian summers. But gardening in the subtropics has been a steep learning curve for me, and it is one I have far from mastered. My garden has a tendency to escape me, before requiring a big clear out. Then, I'll track along nicely for a while before the cycle repeats itself. I suspect this is because I am drawn to cottage gardens, with a large number of perennials and annuals, which are often not low maintenance. I have discovered many of the perennials I am drawn to act more like annuals here; I am unsure why. Time-wise, I need a garden that can handle a bit of neglect without it turning its toes up on me. I also need the plantings to be dense enough that they inhibit some of the crazy weed growth we have over the summer. 

The two garden beds my MIL helped to plan and plant out. 

The end of the semester led to one of those times, and my garden had become an overgrown, wild, weedy, ugly mess. The goats took advantage of my absence by learning to break in and demolish anything that took their fancy. No agapanthus flowers for me this year! Apparently, they are particularly tasty to goats. 

It was disheartening. 

Thankfully, Grant got in there and did the bulk of the heavy clearing out to encourage me to feel inspired again. But knowing I have work and study to juggle for the foreseeable future, I need to adapt the way I garden. My in-laws came down recently, and my MIL is an avid gardener who understands the tension of maintaining a large garden with time constraints. With her help, we chose hardy, pretty flowering shrubs, trying to use height to create layers and different-coloured blooms to get the cottage look I love. She was a huge help in laying them out, and together, we tackled two big beds, which will look lovely once established. There are purple bundaleas against the yurt, pink geraniums, roses, gardenias, native bush basil, some strappy flowering things and a few other bits and bobs. It's all had a good mulch, the paths raked and now I feel inspired to continue to freshen up the other beds. 

There is still a veggie garden, though there is not much in it at the moment. I will replant that once the harshest part of summer is past. We are past the summer solstice, so it won't be long. It is not uncommon in various parts of Australia that people will give veggie gardening a rest in the middle of summer when the insect/fungal load is at its highest. Our sun can get extremely harsh, and it can be hard to get out there and spend the time it takes to keep a productive veggie garden going. Due to the heat, it can require a lot of water, and if it's rainy, we then struggle with mildew and fungal issues. Our creeks here have dropped to a trickle, though we still have one sound water hole. 

A shady little garden Elsie likes to play in. There is her cubby, a big tub for water play,  a sand pit, and a fairy garden here. Her clever grandmother runs a pottery classes in SA, and whipped her up some pottery fairy houses. 

For me, gardening is evolving into more of a contemplative practice to help maintain good mental and spiritual health rather than trying to provide an abundance of food.  I have a level of guilt over this, as a "good homesteader" would have a wonderfully productive garden. But the truth is, I feel a much deeper sense of joy from seeing the colourful blooms, with bees and butterflies hovering amongst them, watching tiny wrens darting in and out, and the old kookaburra sitting on the fence in the evening.  This, along with the sound of the trickling fountain and the chorus of frogs, fills my heart with a peace like no other. It is in the garden I feel deeply connected to God, and where God's peace fills my heart and sustains me. And perhaps seeking such peace in challenging global and economic times is not such a bad thing. Perhaps those of us who have the privilege of doing so should seek peace wherever we can, so we can help others discover peace in their lives through whatever means resonates with them. For, we are all created differently, and it is a tremendous blessing whenever we can find alignment with what we are doing to who we are in our souls. 

Much love and blessings, 

Emma xx

Well hello there! 2025

Well, hello there! I hope you have had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

I must have started at least half a dozen posts since I last updated you here, but I didn't manage to finish any of them. I guess my heart was not quite in it. I feel like in many ways, our life here is not what we imagined when we moved here 6 years ago. We had hoped that by now, we would be beginning to consider building our home on the north-facing hill, that we would have basic boundary fencing up, and that we would be well on our way with livestock. 

However, as many of you well know and have experienced for yourselves, the last 5 or 6 years have not been easy in this economy. The cost of everything has gone through the roof and in turn our progress has been painfully slow. 

18 months ago, I felt the pull to finish up my theology study, which I started years ago before I became chronically unwell with a heart condition. Thankfully, I am well now, and I have gone on to do a full Bachelor of Theology. I have 11 subjects left and am studying half-time. I am also working part-time as a lay minister in the Anglican church with children and families. It is a wonderful job, which I love, and I work with the very best people. 

This has, however, been a big adjustment for our family. It's a significant increase in travel and time spent off the farm, and it takes up a huge amount of my week. Financially, although the pay for a lay minister is very modest, it does help to cover the ever-increasing bills. However there is always a cost in working, too. Petrol and childcare are significant expenses. I am not entirely sure what this will look like in 2025, how big a study load I will juggle or what subjects I will do. There seem to be two pathways regarding work and study appearing, and I am contemplating which one I am called to be on. 

The pressure of travel has not been easy, and at times, we have questioned whether it is wise to stay on the farm. The world feels so different now than it did six years ago—harder. We have, at times, felt less hope that we will ever be able to get this place up and running properly. As such, we have questioned if it is worth investing the kind of money and time it will require. Our children are only young once, after all. 

But as I watch our dairy goats snooze in the afternoon sun, hear the cackle of the chooks, and see the fairy-wrens darting around the bushes, we continue to hold to our dream. Though it is perhaps a little more battered these days and it has changed over the years. It has simplified. There is no end date nor percentage of our own food we hope to grow and preserve. The reality is Grant works full-time off-farm and I, too, work a significant amount of time off-farm now. Caring for a family of 6 is a big job in itself. Our goal is simply to live well, grow and raise some of our own food, to enjoy our family and live within our means. 

We have recently started the extension on the yurt. To see the deck come together has injected a spirit of hope and excitement once again into our hearts. Friends and family have come to lend a hand, and their help and encouragement means a lot. There is a few more hours of work to do, and then we will be able to lay the yellow tongue flooring and the first stage of the build will be complete.  

There is a gap between the new deck and the build, but don't worry. They will be joined by stairs going down to the garden and a landing, which will double as a small outdoor sitting nook. 

The children are doing well, William is driving now, he has bought himself a project car which he is enjoying a lot, and he is entering year 12 this year. Angus is entering year 8, learning guitar and has a lovely group of friends, Henry is in his final year of primary school doing year 6 and is as funny and interesting as ever, and sweet little Elsie continues in her family daycare. She is 5 in February - oh, how time flies!  She will go to big school in 2026. 

Though there is more to share, I might leave that for another time. I am not even sure anyone will find this post as it has been so long between updates! Like many things, this blog seems to be in a transition period aswell, and I have wondered what I should do with this space. To continue? To let it go? To let it evolve into something new? 

Perhaps that, too, will become clear in time. 

Much love and blessings to you and yours. 

- Em xx

Winter on the farm

Well hello there!

It's been a while between posts hasn't it? All is well with us, but I have been busy studying half-time at theological college this semester. Thankfully, the semester is over. It was a bit brutal, but my grades were fine. I now have a few weeks of break to catch up around the place, relax, and touch base with you again.

Hoopla (the brown goat) continues to give us her good milk, and Mixie-May is the black British Alpine who is new to us. A proven mother and milker who is very sweet-natured. 

Things are quiet on the farm at the moment. 

The steers have gone to the local livestock market and fetched a fair price given they were a dairy cross and one of them was only small. Most of the Boer goats have been sold off, minus five. Some of those are marked for our freezer, and the remaining couple of does will be bartered with a friend. That will leave us with Hoopla our dairy goat, our new dairy goat Mixie-May, a handful of chooks and some guineafowl. 
Come spring, we will purchase some weaner steers to grow out again, but for now, the farm is quieter than it has been for a long while. In one sense it feels like a step backwards, but already we have more time on our hands and fewer things on our minds. The wood roaches that Grant breeds for pet food are very happy with their new gas heating and warm shed, though there is still a little tweaking to ensure they receive the perfect amount of wet/dry food. They are finicky things. Occasionally I receive comments from worried readers thinking we are breeding an invasive insect, but these particular critters are Australian native insects, that naturally live and feed on the damp leaf litter in the bush. 

The garden has slowed right down, and it's looking a little sparse. I planted some greens a little while back, which I hoped would feed us over winter, but I got them in a bit late.  Hopefully, as the days begin to grow longer, they will begin to take off and will instead feed us in spring.  Grant and the boys have started to pour the footings for the extension. However, time is flying, and unfortunately, it will not be usable by summer. This is quite concerning as my heart didn't do amazingly last summer, but it is what it is.  There is little point worrying ourselves with problems before they have arrived.   

Leafy greens were in a bit late, but hopefully, they will shoot out as the days begin to lengthen. 

We have slowly been cleaning up around the yurt now the cooler days are here. Brushing cobwebs from under the awnings, cleaning windows, dusting, and donating outgrown clothes to charity. Simple tasks really, but it gives our home a feeling of being cared for. It is important to teach our children to look after and appreciate what we have to help foster a feeling of contentment within them. We want them to grow up realizing they do not need to strive for a life filled with 'stuff', but instead to look for a life full of connection with those around them and to the place where they live. Striving for a simple life requires a certain amount of discipline and creativity, but it is a deeply satisfying pursuit and one that yields far greater rewards than looking outwards and filling our time with things that in the long run, don't really matter. No one on their deathbed wishes they would have worked more hours or lived in bigger debt than necessary to buy fancy things. Most people wish they would have spent more time with their friends and family, working less and appreciating what they had right in front of them. 

I love these winter days. It's been a mild winter for us, with frequent rain and only one light frost so far, which is very unusual. But the sunny days are short as we live in a valley, and the hills cast shade on our little home by mid-afternoon. The wood oven burns around the clock and is doing most of our winter soups, stews and roasts.  There is chicken broth simmering at the moment, which will be the base of tomorrow's cauliflower and potato soup. It's a favourite here, with a generous helping of parmesan cheese on top and a sprinkling of crispy bacon if we have any on hand. 

The garden is a bit sparse. Though I am interested to see how it fills out this spring, which will be its second year. 

The mid-year school holidays are nearly upon us in Australia. Will has a couple of weeks of full-time work experience with a local diesel mechanic business. He is thinking about applying for an apprenticeship with them. They asked for him back after two weeks of work experience, which was encouraging for him. He does not enjoy school, though his trade school is better for him than his last high school. He is keen to get an apprenticeship ASAP and that is fine by us. He is a good, hard-working young man, and I think he will do well wherever he ends up. Grant has two weeks holidays coming up which he will use to work on the extension. Angus and Henry are looking forward to spending time with him, Henry especially loves helping Grant in the shed and learning how to use tools etc. 

Little Elsie is growing up so quickly. She is a real little chatterbox and is becoming more confident all the time. I have promised to make jelly with her, feed the goats, and make playdough, so I had better be off. We might go for a wander and take the camera with us, so there will be some photos for this post! 

I hope all is well with you. 
Blessings, 
Emma

Frugal family budgeting (and sticking to it)

As the cost of living seems to rise every month, budgeting and how to manage money well as a family is a constant topic of discussion in our home. Like many, we cringe when unexpected things need repair or replacing, and we often look incredulously at how others around us seem to be spending money we simply don't have. 

How are they doing it?

To be honest, I'm not sure. Unless they are super wealthy, I suspect a lot of people are financially stressed beyond measure and are simply hiding it well, hoping things will resolve themselves in time because they don't know what else to do. But that's clearly a flawed strategy, given there are no solid signs that inflation is on the way down anytime soon and interest drops if they occur, will likely be very slow and small.  

Frugal family budgeting (and sticking to it)

Once upon a time, early on in our marriage, we used envelopes for cash. But these days so much is done via EFTPOS or automatic bank transfer the physical envelope system no longer works for us. Especially when we might be going in different directions at the same time. 

Recently we sat down and explored some apps to help us budget better and settled on a free budgeting app by the name of Goodbudget. You can set it up to work with your pay cycle and add various envelopes to suit your needs. Then as you spend money you manually add it into the correct envelope and list what it was for. There is a little maker on each envelope that tells you if you are ahead or behind budget. Then when the next fortnight comes around any areas you overspent on or saved in will be rolled into that fortnight. Great if you manage to save money, but less fun if you had extra costs. It updates in real-time so anyone who is sharing the app with you can see where the budget is at. 

It's been a game-changer for us.  

There are so many beautiful natural places to explore, even if you are in the city. There are free parks, beaches, national parks, forests, rivers, botanic gardens and more which are often quite closeby. 

I feel more control over our budget, and those little things that quickly add up are easily documented and kept in check. Because it updates in real-time we can see what each other is doing and adjust (if needed) our actions accordingly. I think one of the most helpful things about the app is the little tracker on each envelope. For example, this fortnight we have unexpectedly spent more on fuel than we intended at the front of the fortnight. The reasons were good, but it doesn't change the fact we are now significantly behind budget on our fuel budget and need to balance it out, so we are looking for ways to challenge ourselves to achieve that. 

Another thing we do as a family is cultivate contentment and enjoyment in what we have. I know I talk about this a lot but that's because I believe it is so incredibly important. We talk well about our home, garden animals and life. Anyone who has been following for a while will know our home is tiny, imperfect and a work in progress. But imperfection doesn't negate the ability to enjoy or value something. Life will never be perfect and most of us will never live in a magazine-worthy home. (heads up, stylists spend hours bringing in items to style rooms to make them look that way, even homes in magazines don't look like that on a day-to-day basis.) Despite the imperfection, we make the effort to highlight the things we do have and enjoy them deeply. 

enjoying a cuppa is a simple pleasure, and easily done at home.

Our lives and that of our children are bombarded with advertising and media designed specifically to create a sense of dissatisfaction in us so we will buy a lot of things, much of which we don't need. Generations of the past simply didn't have this level of advertising to contend with, so our generation has to work out how to pave a healthy way forward for our children.  In response, we need to proactively and deliberately cultivate a sense of gratitude and thankfulness about both the big and small things. Some ways we can do that are;

• Cooking simple nourishing meals with love and care. 

• Ensure beds are clean and comfortable and bedrooms are a cosy retreat. 

• Comment positively about our children's favourite clothing items so they remember to appreciate what they have.

• Op-shop, thrift and buy what we can second-hand. It's amazing what people sell cheap or give away. If you can be patient the exact item you need will often pop up soon enough. 

• Read books to/with our children with patience (even if it is 'Where is the Green Sheep' for the one billionth time) 

• Make our homes cheerful and comfortable in a way that suits our lifestyle. It doesn't have to be perfect. 

• Hang the children's art in a cheap frame and swap it out. Our children love to give us things. Pictures, rocks and interesting tidbits are often all they have access to. We need to celebrate it! 

• Arrange some thrifted or sentimental items on a pretty cloth so you can enjoy them on your table.

• Light some candles to create a magical atmosphere at night. Kids love the twinkly magical ambience and it also sets a sweet, romantic mood for couples. 

• Sit together and play a board game, cards/UNO regularly.  

• Tend to a garden, whether it be a few plants in pots, a courtyard or a big garden. create a space you enjoy and invest time into it.

• Go out in nature and enjoy all the free fun and beauty it has to offer. 

Cultivating contentment is a beautifully frugal way to live. We learn to become self-reliant on our own hands, imaginations and sense of creativity. We look to nature for entertainment, and we look for connection in relationships which inturn brings riches and joy beyond material measure. 

Another budgeting tip is being honest about where you are with your friends. Recently I had to have a conversation with a couple of dear friends that I could no longer afford to do our dinner out, even though we would go to a cheap place to eat. Though they are in a better financial situation than me, they thanked me for sharing with them and quickly made arrangements for us to eat at their homes instead. This week I will make up a jar of delicious pesto with fresh herbs from my garden. I'll pack it with some cooked chicken, tomatoes from the garden and a bag of pasta to cook up at their house so our meal is beautifully fresh. (I go to their place because they live in town and we meet while our children go to an activity) I may not be able to be generous financially in this season but I can be generous with my time, friendship, love and the resources we do have like my garden.  I can offer to help repair things or help them with things they might want a second pair of hands or eyes on. I have always found that when I dare to be entirely honest, those friendships that truly matter deepen and become something incredibly beautiful. 

This Sunday we had homemade mac and cheese for dinner, but usually, Sunday dinner is pancakes. It's great fun for the kids and incredibly thrifty. You can add fruit and yoghurt to make it healthier. I got chicken for 9.99/kg, pork for $7.99/kg from Aldi this week and potatoes for $2/kg at Coles. The OC shampoo and conditioner our family uses was for sale this week at Coles too. If you can buy an extra of items when they are on sale you will have them on hand to get you through until it next comes on sale. I'll bake a simple vanilla butter cake for a sweet treat one night when the oven is already on to save gas. 

If you are feeling the pinch like many of us are, be honest and face up to it. Clawback control wherever you can and make a plan. Ignoring the reality won't make it any easier. (I know because I tried for a bit) There are many ways we can cobble together a beautifully simple life that truly reflects our values and who we are in our heart of hearts. But it's something that needs to be created slowly over time, it can't be purchased from the store. 

I hope this finds you well. If you feel like sharing how you're cobbling together a life that resonates with you and managing your budget I'd love to hear about it, I'm sure others would find it helpful too. Because I'm taking a social media break for Lent, I won't be sharing this post on the usual social media platforms. So if you know anyone who this conversation might benefit, please do feel free to send them this way. 

Much love, 
Emma
xx

Budget-friendly resources

Goodbudget

This is an excellent Budgeting app available in your app store for free. 

Barradale farm - Feeding a family on a budget

A recent post I wrote on this topic. 

Down to Earth

Rhonda Hetzel has two excellent books about frugal, green, simple living and also a comprehensive blog. Have a search through and you will find a wealth of information on how to write and implement a budget in great detail. 

Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape

A straightforward, not too dry money guide. Check out your local library first. 

reducing social media use

In the Christian tradition as we come into the period of easter many denominations observe the period of LENT. I usually don't manage to observe lent, well not strictly. There are times I have given up certain items like sugar, but to be completely honest, I never manage to last the full 40 days....because well...chocolate exists and it is good. 

But this year after a period of prayer and contemplation, I am reducing social media use by deactivating Facebook, though I still have Messenger. I have increasingly found social media to be a black hole of wasted time. Time I want, need and desire to spend on other things. The reasons I am on there are valid and good. I love to see photos of friends and family and hear about what they have been up to. Facebook marketplace is an excellent resource for sourcing second-hand items and Facebook helps me keep up to date with upcoming local events. But it is also full of clickbait, trashy stories, people arguing and needless advertising. When I am stressed or tired I find myself turning to scrolling rather than reading a book, making time for quiet prayer, or going into the garden. I will, however, continue to blog as it is a form of creating and writing is something I find great value in. I won't be uploading blog posts and reminders to social media though. I'll be going old school and relying on readers to check in if and when they remember. 

For me, social media has simply become a bad habit. I wonder if anyone else feels the same? 

It seems many of us struggle with the balance of technology, so much so the technology itself is now being built with alarms and reminders we can set to help us monitor our usage however. I am not particularly convinced about their helpfulness as it doesn't serve giant tech companies' bottom line to keep us offline. 

If we do a quick Google search there are plenty of studies like THIS that are available to read which link to an increase in generalised anxiety which coincides with high levels of social media use. We also know it leads to increased dissatisfaction in the way we feel about our life as we are bombarded by constant advertising of beautiful/fun/interesting things to buy, see and do designed to lure us away from what we have right in front of us. For me, social media has become a mostly unsatisfactory experience. Thankfully it is an experience that lies entirely within my control, which is why I’m focusing on reducing social media use for Lent. Time will tell if it’s a practise that extends beyond that. 

When I look at previous generations, the struggles and distractions we face in the modern world are so very different. I'm deeply thankful for instant communication with those I love, and the wealth of information available at my fingertips. But the flip side is we need to learn new skills that allow us to resist the temptation of mindless scrolling. People in the past naturally had periods of quiet built into their days. Once phones and televisions came into the landscape, they had wires, there were few channels and it wasn't as portable as it is now. I can't help but wonder if the lack of quiet in our lives is adding to the generalised anxiety many of us experience. 

Those who have been reading along for a while might know that I have a history of chronic pericarditis. Recently my heart was playing up a little and I was struggling with dizziness and palpitations. After investigation and a trip to the cardiologist, I was given medication to take as needed, and he recommended I get a smartwatch with ECG functionality and alarms. After years of avoiding a smartwatch, I have conceded defeat. I am hoping It will not add to the cyber distraction from which I am trying to escape. But my cardiologist said he gets at least one person weekly whose smartwatch has picked up AF, prompting them to seek advice and allowing them to receive early treatment. Thankfully my parents generously gifted me one, as there is no room for such an item in our budget. I feel it is ironic timing given my desire to escape technology. Ha! 

So throughout this period of Lent, I am hoping to increase the time I spend in prayer and contemplation. In writing in my journal, blogging, reflecting on scripture, gardening (when it's cool enough), spending time in creation, and re-establishing good household routines that serve our family well. 

Much love,

Emma 

xx

Edit: Here is a useful link of practical ideas on how to reduce mindless scrolling from Zen Habits.

  

 

Simple homemade curtains

The school holidays have come to an end and we have been organising all the back-to-school bits and bobs. William is off to trade school, Angus is off to high school and Henry goes into year 5. All of the boys are off to different campuses, and to be honest I am not entirely sure how we will juggle it yet. For now, we are crossing our fingers and hoping it's not total chaos. It's the first time Henry will be at a school without his big brothers, and I feel a little nervous for him. I don't know why, this is the kid who walked himself into kindy, insisting he didn't need any help from me. 

The last couple of weeks have flown by. I have been chipping away at decluttering and sorting out the boys' wardrobes, along with various other spaces. Living in a very small home as a family of six requires constant refinement. "Stuff" can quickly accumulate which makes functioning efficiently almost impossible and incredibly frustrating. 

When the afternoons are hot, I have been sewing, reading or writing. I whipped up these simple homemade curtains for Elsie's room and have also caught up on some much needed mending. These curtains cost me $21 to make and were a fun project. As you can see Elsie is very happy with them! 

Many years ago some ladies from church passed on a couple of bags of scrap fabrics, and they have been blessing me ever since. To make these I rummaged through my fabric stash and cut each square 10"x10".  I chose that size because I had some specific scraps I wanted to use and 10" was the best use of them. The rod is simply a pretty branch cut to size, you can't see it well in this photo, but it has a white/grey bark and looks a little like birch. It adds whimsy to the space and reminds me of books like Brambly Hedge. Given we live in a yurt in the bush, it feels apt. 

Patchwork curtains

It's my understanding that traditionally patchwork was done to make the most of scraps of fabric left over after making dresses, linens and other household items. It's only in more recent times that we buy new fabric and cut it up to do a patchwork project. Whilst I love all the pretty coordinating fabrics you can buy, there is something that resonates deep inside me when doing a task similar to what our great, great grandmothers would have done. Using scrap fabric that has been carefully stored away for years, left over from projects done by women I will never know. There is a piece of one of my grandmother's vintage pillowcases in there, as well as two squares from the little cloth bag Elsie's May Gibbs quilt came in. When we use what we have, thrift, or source second-hand items, our home ends up containing dozens of other people's stories. Things find a new life in our homes, and our family becomes a part of that.

Front of the curtains

• Measure window. If your window is small like mine you might like to go floor length or keep them cropped. Either way, you might like to plan your curtains to sit 10-15cm above the window, with the tabs sitting above that. My curtains sit about 20cm below the bottom of the window. I added about 1/3 of the window on for the width. 
• Cut squares to the desired size (I used 10" x10")Layout and arrange until you are happy with the placement of pieces. I find it helpful to take a photo at this point in case I get interrupted and my rows get jumbled
• Pin each row carefully
• Straight stitch each row together with a 1cm seam allowance
• Pin rows together, line up your seams and sew. Iron. Now you will have the front. 

Tabs

My tabs are rectangles cut about 15cm wide and 20cm long and I cut ten of them. 

• Fold tabs right side together, sew long edge with 1cm seam allowance
• Turn right way out, iron ensuring the seam is in the middle on one side. Once attached this will ensure the seam is hidden inside the tab.

Back of the curtains

You can use anything for the backing you like. An old sheet, thick cotton drill, calico. The thicker your fabric the more light blockage you will have. However, I chose calico as it is cheap and gives a nice hang to the curtain. I figured if I wanted better light blockage I could always pop a basic roller blind behind them.  

• Lay out backing fabric on a large flat surface, wrong side up
• Lay patchwork curtain top over it, wrong side down
• Working from the middle, smooth and occasionally pin fabric ensuring the same tension is on the top and bottom. 
• Cut backing
• Place ironed tabs between both pieces of fabric at the top and carefully pin. Now you want to pin the outer tabs 1cm in from the edge so that when you sew the curtains together they are free and will line up nicely when hung.  
• Pin three sides, leaving the bottom open as you will need to turn it out. 
• Sew, taking extra care to secure the tabs at the top. If your curtains are heavier, you might like to stitch the top twice to reinforce it. 
• Turn the fabric out, fold the bottom hem in with a 1cm allowance and pin. Press carefully. 
• Now you just need to topstitch around the whole lot, which will ensure it sits well and they are ready to hang! 

I hope those instructions make sense, I forgot to take photos of each step along the way! 

Much love

Emma

xx

frugal abundance and beauty amidst the challenges

Our garden has been producing quite well though things are coming to an end after a hot and humid spell. The cucumbers have been attacked by downy mildew but were abundant this year. They have fed us, our friends and Grants wood roaches generously. I've got cherry tomatoes popping up everywhere, pumpkins are ripening and the capsicum, chilli, herbs and eggplant are in abundance. I've not timed the planting of lettuce well and we are currently waiting for seedlings to mature.

Making moussaka, packed with homegrown veggies and herbs. 

In truth, though there is goodness to be found in the garden, it is looking a bit beaten by the heat. A little like me. The past few weeks my heart has been playing up for the first time in many years. It has been throwing long runs of dicky beats which are not ideal. I have had various investigations and the results were concerning enough that a trip to the cardiologist is on the cards. However with rest, good nourishing meals, prayer from dear friends and working harder to escape the heat and not push myself, it seems to be righting itself. For the remainder of summer, however, the garden is on the back burner. Will and Grant have taken over the heavy lifting and Henry and Angus have been helping with the smaller tasks. 

It has become clear over the past couple of summers, that my body cannot cope with the intense humidity and heat we experience here, to the point this year it is putting excess strain on my heart. The yurt is a hot building which only exacerbates the problem. Grant is finally starting on the deck extension and hopefully by next summer there will be a large, well-insulated master bedroom/office to escape into during the hottest part of the day, or we will have to work out plan B. Perhaps installing a large solar-powered air conditioner in the yurt, even if it requires borrowing money to do so. 

The garden has grown alot though many of my flowers have come to an end. It all needs a good prune, feed and freshening up before Autumn. 

On a more positive front, the wood roaches are finally doing well and breeding up and Grant recently doubled the number of boxes they have to give them the space they need to grow out. Their shed is now a fully insulated building and they have three forms of heating to ensure their temperature is steady 24/7. They have heat pads under their tubs powered by solar, a slow-combustion wood fire for freezing winter nights and a fancy thermostat-controlled gas heater on a timer.  Hopefully, they breed like crazy to repay us so we can afford the growing number of things we need to improve/mend/build in the not-so-distant future. 

Due to the ever-increasing cost of living, I have been pondering how I can bring in a little income. I am hoping to submit more articles to Grass Roots magazine and have recently sent in my first for the year. Hopefully, it passes muster! Grass Roots is an excellent Australian magazine all about sustainable living, gardening, keeping livestock, preserving, seasonal cooking, DIY and more. I highly recommend checking it out. It's packed with interesting and practical information which is rare in today's world where advertising seems to overtake content in most magazines. If you are curious but your budget is tight, pop over to your local library. Most libraries stock it and if they don't, they can probably order it in for you. 

For Christmas, my parents gave me some money and with it, I bought this sweet little vintage desk for $60. It's wonderful to once again, have a dedicated work space for writing and study. This is also where I set up my sewing machine. I am hoping having a quiet-ish dedicated space to write will help me once again get into a steady writing groove. So far so good.  

As it’s a new year, I have been tackling our budget and working out where I can save money, I was reminded that it is more important than ever that we normalise living more simply. One for the good of the planet, but also on a personal level. Many people are struggling financially and are under enormous pressure. Mental health issues are on the rise and people are lost on how to move forward in these challenging times. 

But there are many small things we can do that will help put us in a better place. 

A dollar saved is often more valuable than a dollar earned because when we save a dollar, we get to keep the entire thing. Whereas if we earn a dollar we need to pay tax on it and we only get to keep part of it. Living simply doesn't mean life needs to be grim. In fact, it can help us to create a life that is the very opposite of grim. Though it might require tweaking the lens we are looking through. There is beauty in knowing how to cook budget-friendly, nourishing meals from scratch for those we love. Learning new skills, facing challenges and looking for creative solutions all help us feel good and are empowering. When we feel empowered and confident in ourselves, we have hope that we can get through the hard times. We can be proactive and courageous in making decisions that will help put us in the best situation possible, even when things are really hard.  

If you are struggling in these challenging times, please know you are not alone. Seek knowledge, don't be too proud to accept help and look to those who have the skills you think might help you transition to a more frugal and sustainable life. Don't be scared to change or try new things, what's the worst that could happen? I find great comfort that many generations before us have faced difficult times and got through them. 

If they can do it, so can we. 

Much love,

Emma

xx

Feeding a family on a budget

Feeding a family on a budget is a challenge that many people are currently facing. With the cost of living and the rate of inflation going up before our eyes,  I thought I would share some ways we as a family of six work to keep our grocery bills down. 

Firstly going to the shops is a two-hour return trip for me, so I tend to minimise the number of shops I go to. If you are in town, you might find that sourcing specials at various supermarkets each week can save money further. Generally though, minimising the trips to the supermarket is significantly better for your budget, as it reduces the temptation to buy unnecessary or extra items. 

I do a fortnightly shop at Aldi and then the next fortnight I go to Coles. I shop online and click-and-collect when I can. For a top-up mid-week shop (milk etc) Grant nips into our local IGA. Overall I find Aldi a big cost-saver, though they do not have everything we like to buy. 

seasonal veggies picked from the garden

Shopping online allows me to; 

• Take my time in planning the shop and not feel rushed or under pressure by having a toddler with me, reducing impulse buys. 

• Saves time and reduces temptation.

• Look closely at specials and plan meals to maximise these. 

• Double-check what's in my pantry and fridge to ensure nothing goes to waste.

The first thing I do is look for meat on special. Meat is one of the most expensive items we buy so rather than plan meals and then buy ingredients, I buy the ingredients I can get which are the best value for money and then plan meals to suit.

When buying meat, I buy it in the biggest portions I can afford. Buying larger portions and cutting it up yourself to suit your needs can save a lot of money. I can buy nice a cryovac piece of pork for $13-$15/kg depending on the cut compared to pork steaks at $20/kg. Alternatively, you can often get cryovac blade roast on sale for $15/kg compared to blade steak for $18-$20/kg at Coles. As a one-off occurrence, this might not seem like a big saving but over the weeks, months and years these savings add up considerably. I then cut the meat as I need it. 

Many people are daunted by the idea of cooking a large piece of meat but they needn't be. It's not difficult nor time-consuming to quickly section up a large piece of meat, especially if you have a good sharp knife. I also find that cryovac meat is more tender, as the cryovac process allows the meat to age well for longer. 

Shopping locally

In an ideal world, I would shop at all the independently owned places and buy directly from the farmer. Realistically we are a large single-income family without the freezer space at the moment to store half a cow. If you can manage it, it's an excellent way to go. 

However, I do go to an independent fruit and vegetable shop for all of our veggie needs. I find the veggies better quality and significantly cheaper. It is also easier to see what is in season and grown locally. If you are on the Mid-North Coast check out The Growers Market. They are excellent value for money, super friendly and offer old-fashioned service, even taking your veggies to your car for you. 

Depending on where you are you might have access to bulk whole food outlets or CSA's. Do your research and work out what suits you and your budget best, there are all kinds of options. 

Buying or growing seasonal fruit and vegetables means you it can be worth preserving some to put away. Here I am making oven-baked semi-dried tomatoes. I can make them much cheaper then I can buy in the store. 

Bartering

If you have some friends who raise chickens but you don't/can't for whatever reason can you barter for some eggs? Are you able to fix machinery? Service a car? Can you sew or bake? Most of us have all kinds of skills that someone else needs. It's just a matter of investing in a reciprocal relationship. 

• Picking fruit from an elderly neighbour's tree in exchange for homemade jam/preserves.

• Do a day's work in exchange for produce

• Trading baked bread/homemade goodies (farmers are often incredibly busy and tired at the end of the day!)

• Doing bookwork

• Managing online/social media accounts

• Babysitting

• Trading mechanical skills

• Trading mending/sewing/knitting skills.

• Feeding farm animals to allow farmers a much-needed night or two away

The key to bartering is that it is a relationship built on mutual exchange and trust. I have a friend who I do a little social media/computer work for in exchange for some meat. They give their roosters to a work friend who pays them back with curries made with the rooster for their freezer. 

With our friends, I feel like I am getting the good end of the deal with beautiful pasture-raised meat but they feel grateful for not having to sit in front of a computer which they hate. Win-win. 

Know your prices

If you keep track of how much you spend on things, you will know a good deal when you stumble upon it. Unfortunately in Australia, our grocery market is dominated and controlled by three main companies that pay the farmers low prices but then upmark their products considerably. 

Many people love to shop at Aldi and some of their lines are better priced than Coles and Woolies, especially their snacks and processed foods. However, if you can't get out of there without stopping in the middle aisle to pick up things you had no intent to buy, it's not saving you any money. 

Supermarket sales are usually advertised on Wednesday nights and start Thursday mornings. If you watch them for a while you will find the sales cycle through. If you can buy an extra few items of necessities you know you will use, you can work out a system that over time means you're never paying full price for many things. This is especially useful with items like eucalyptus oil/lavender oil/tea/coffee/chocolate/toothpaste/toiletries/soap/canned goods etc which all have a long and stable shelf life.  

Learn how to make the basics from scratch

I cook a lot but I am not a fancy cook. Meals are nourishing but simple. Soups, stirfries, stews, salads and oven bakes. If I have the oven on, I try to use it for more than one thing. Many things can be cooked in the oven easily, like sausages. I used to fry them in a pan but now I whack them in a big baking tray and cook them in the oven while the potatoes cook, turning them a couple of times. 

The key to keeping your sanity whilst cooking from scratch for a bit family is to keep it simple. Butter, sugar, honey, flour, cocoa, milk, dried fruit, nuts, oats, jam, baking powder and chocolate chips can be turned into an endless array of treats. I have a couple of basic recipes I tweak to suit almost any situation. 

Kids can bake treats, they often love to do it. It's good to get them involved in the kitchen where ever possible. 

If you run out of bread, scones will get you through till you need to go to the shop for more than one thing.  This should be avoided as each time we go to the shops we are bombarded with advertising and the temptation to stray off-budget. Rhonda Hetzel from Down to Earth has a good scone recipe in her book, or you can find it here. Scone recipe

A good butter cake recipe will see you through most of your cake needs. Add apple and cinnamon for an apple tea cake, banana for a banana cake (just add the milk last as you will need less) cocoa for a chocolate cake. You can ice it with traditional icing or decorate it with fresh cream and strawberries, or spread some melted butter on it and sprinkle cinnamon sugar. The flexibility is endless. 

Simple Butter Cake

Another great money saver is homemade muesli bars. A box of muesli bars is between $6-$10 depending on the brand and size of the box. But you can make them for just a few dollars and double the volume. 

Simple Musli bar recipe

When it comes to homemade muesli bars, I don't buy fancy/expensive ingredients to add to them. As long as you keep the volume of dry ingredients to wet, they should work out. I usually add a combination of choc chips, sultanas, chopped nuts, and chopped dried fruit, depending on what I have on hand. 

Another great snack is homemade popcorn, it is especially great as an afterschool snack. You can make a massive bowl of it for next to nothing. There is no need to buy microwave popcorn packets, just buy the kernels and pop them in your biggest pot over the stove, shaking regularly. Add butter and salt and you have a simple, healthy, quick snack. 

Growing your own herbs

Even if you live in a small space, or have an apartment with a balcony, you may still be able to grow some of your own herbs. Parsley, oregano, coriander, spring onion and basil are all a great place to start. Herbs from the shops are expensive and don't last well in the fridge. However, they add a big punch to a dish and can turn even the most simple meal into something really delicious. If you are not a confident gardener, it may be a great place to start. 

Managing expectations

Unfortunately, kids are bombarded with advertising and can develop their own set of expectations of what they think is 'good' food. In our home, we talk about homemade food being better, and shop-bought items being the lesser option. Grant backs me in this as he is genuinely excited by home cooking and treats and the kids have developed the same sense of enthusiasm. 

I try and ensure each meal has something each child will happily eat, and I don't shy away from challenging foods. I have found that slow acclimatisation to challenging foods over a long period has ensured my children eat most things. For example, Henry doesn't like fresh tomatoes, so I only pop 1/4 of a cherry tomato in his salad. I don't care if he slathers it in tomato sauce. As long as it is eaten, it's all good. Alternatively, each child can pick one thing on their plate they don't like. As children grow their ability to rationalize increases and it becomes easier to encourage them to eat a wider variety of food. Elsie has been my fussiest child, and I often have to feed her dinner or things she is not enamoured with. However, over time, encouraging her to just try one bite has helped her to be more adventurous when it comes to food. She will now eat a spoon with veggies and meat on it. Once her initial hesitation has passed, she will often exclaim that it is "very yummy Mummy!" 

I also put realistic, smaller serves on their plates. They can always go for seconds and it reduces food waste which is a huge money saver. I hate to throw out perfectly good food. 

How are you coping with the cost of living chrisis? What cost-saving tips can you add to this list? 

Much love,

Emma

xx

reflections and looking forward

Happy New Year dear readers, may 2024 bring much beauty, peace, love and good health to us all. 

2023 was a mixed bag for most of us I think. On one hand, we found new friendships and community which has brought immense beauty and joy. I did a permaculture course and returned to theological study. Both of which built my confidence and helped me find direction as I entered a new decade of life. We spent a lot of time developing the garden, got a milking goat and continued to make small progress on the farm. Our family continues to grow and the children are all doing well. William enters year 11 this year and will be moving to an excellent trade school, Angus starts high school, Henry is in year 5 and Elsie has just started a lovely family daycare one day a week while I attend lectures. 

On the other hand, we have watched wars erupt and continue across the world, the world economy is struggling, and interest rates and inflation have risen hugely. Good, hard-working families are struggling to put food on the table and pay their bills at a rate we haven't seen for a few decades. We too feel the pinch and though Grant has now got perhaps the best job he has ever had, inflation and the cost of living has claimed a large part of his paycheck. We were hoping to be able to invest money into farm infrastructure this year. Unfortunately, that has been minimal. Though it's disheartening, we are incredibly fortunate to have enough. We have a sweet little affordable home, have nourishing food in the garden and on the table and we can keep up with our expenses.

On the homemaker front, I confess I have struggled with motivation this year. Whilst I continue to cook nourishing meals every night for our family, more convenience foods have crept in as snacks. As a coeliac, I can't eat a lot of the baked goods I used to eat. Whilst I could make them gluten-free for our whole family, the cost would go through the roof as gluten-free flour etc is substantially more expensive than normal flour. This means we have been buying biscuits/muesli bars/bread etc. Nutritionally this is not as good due to processed foods containing flavours and preservatives, it is also more expensive. But I haven't felt like baking things that I cannot enjoy with everyone. But this year I would like to get back on track. 

Grant and I have also struggled with tiredness and disheartened. (No doubt a better diet would help!) Things have often seemed to be two steps forward and one step back. We have not chosen an easy life and starting an off-grid farm entirely from scratch on a limited budget while raising a family is...well...it's a lot. This year that caught up with us. There have been times when we talked very seriously about throwing in the towel and selling up. There are often not enough hours in the day or money in the bank to tackle the big things that need doing. 

But despite the talk, we cannot bring ourselves to give up on this beautiful property. Instead, we have developed a clearer, simpler plan moving forward. Reflections garnered after doing a Permaculture course through Melliodora. Hopefully simplifying the farm, moving to growing out steers and selling off the boer goats (you can read about that HERE) will help free up a little time. If we won lotto I'd be quick to hire a good fencing team that's for sure! And I'd buy Grant a 4WD tractor with a slasher and post-hole digger. Oh, how I dream of good fencing, being able to rotationally graze them with ease and keeping livestock out of the places they are not meant to be.

Tax time brought some much-needed relief and we were able to buy the materials we needed to finally finish off some important projects, fix up the cars and visit family in South Australia. Grants wood roaches have been a constant source of frustration. They bring in good money when they are breeding well, but we have not been able to keep their temperature and environment at the optimal level needed. He has built them a shed, given them heating pads running off their own solar system with lithium batteries and a wood heater for cold winter nights, but the temperature in their room still fluctuates too much. They are breeding and growing but not as well as we know they can. After much research, he has now bought them a thermostat-controlled gas heater on a timer, insulation and exterior cladding. Using gas isn't our preferred option, but hopefully, between the wood fire and the solar heating pads, the temperature will remain steady. If they don't take off now I'll be feeding them to the chooks and I'll move into their room myself! Grant's on holiday at the moment and he's begun on the insulation and cladding. I cannot wait to get that job finally ticked off. It will in turn, hopefully, fund other farm projects. 

In hindsight, we should have completed everything for the wood roaches first and got them running perfectly before attempting any other farm projects. But that is the value of hindsight, isn't it? 

While Grant is home we took a few days to do a job that was low on the importance list, but high on my sanity list. We finally clad the master bedroom wall which was just studs prior and painted both downstairs rooms including the old, stained up-cycled beams. It now feels bright and clean and I’m motivated to tackle some much-needed decluttering which constantly needs to be done with a big family. That and after clearing out the rooms to do the painting, the rest of the yurt looks like a certifiable disaster zone…

I picked up an old set of solid timber shelves with a toy box attached for $50 from Facebook Marketplace and painted it the prettiest ballerina pink for Elsie. Next, I’ll paint her little wardrobe, whip up some sweet patchwork curtains from my scrap fabric pile and my dear friend Sally from Jembella farm has inspired me to make an up-cycled rag rug too. Buying a second-hand, properly made wooden piece of furniture and painting it is worth the effort rather than buying cheap, modern flatpack furniture from the closest chain store. And making something our own instils a sense of satisfaction and pride that you simply can't buy from a store.

Well, Hoopla is waiting not-so-patiently to be milked so I best be off. 

Much love, 
Emma
xx